The Black Lillies

Raised between the rugged lines of Tennessee and the long shadows of Michigan, Cruz Contreras has spent nearly thirty years forging his path through the Americana musical landscape. He’s a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, bandleader, producer, and storyteller whose voice cuts through noise like a well-honed blade.

First as co-founder of Robinella and the CCstringband, then as the fire at the heart of The Black Lillies, Cruz helped carve a sound that feels as old as the hills and as wild as the road. His songs have topped the Billboard and Americana charts, picked up Independent Music Awards, and earned him a nomination from the Americana Music Association as an emerging artist, though his music suggests he was never chasing trends to begin with.

He’s stood on stages from Conan O’Brien’s late-night set to the Grand Ole Opry, the latter over 40 times, and drawn praise from Rolling Stone, NPR, American Songwriter,…